Senate Democrats are Filibustering to Force Congress to Take Action on Gun Control

Three days after the largest mass shooting in American history took place at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Senate Democrats are making a stand to force Congress to take action on gun control.

Earlier today Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, launched a filibuster on the Senate floor and said he wouldn’t stop until Congress passes legislation on gun control. Fellow Democrats have joined the filibuster as well, including fellow Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal as well as Chuck Schumer from New York and Joe Manchin form West Virginia. When he was in the House of Representatives, Murphy represented the Congressional district that includes Newtown, Conn., the site of the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

I am prepared to stand on the Senate floor and talk about the need to prevent gun violence for as long as I can. I’ve had #Enough

However, some Republicans have responded to Sunday’s tragedy with atypical support for gun control. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, asked Murphy to speak on the issue earlier today and is working with Everytown for Gun Safety to come up with a measure to keep terrorists from acquiring guns.